Coin tester for vending machines



Oct. 27, 1936. A. H. KRAMER COIN TESTER FOR VENDING MACHINES Filed Sept. '7, 1955 I'Ill' iilnilwl s I Patented Oct. 27, 1936 UNITED STATES PATET OFFICE 2 Claims.

tion of the selecting means is determined by a 15 coin of a predetermined value so that the selecting or rejecting means can be used for coins of different values.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this invention will in part be de- 20 scribed in, and in part be understood from the following detail description of the present preferred embodiment, the same being illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:-

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a coin testing 25 or rejecting means constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view partly in front elevation taken on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral l designates generally a channel or coin guiding means which is preferably inclined to the horizontal so that a coin will freely roll from one end to the other. This channel I0 is adapted to be mounted in a dispensing machine and is adapted to be associated with the coin operated means carried by the dispensing machine.

The channel or guide member [0 is provided with a pair of coin outlets I3 at spaced points therealong and each outlet I3 is of a size substantially smaller than a coin or check H, as shown in Figure 3.

In order to provide a means whereby slugs or checks or more or less weight than the normal weight of the coin Il may be prevented from passing to the coin operated means for the dispensing means associated with this device, I have provided an intitial coin rejecting member, generally designated as [2, which is disposed between a pair of brackets [4 which are secured to one side of the channel l2. These brackets have threaded pivotal members l5 threaded therethrough which engage at opposite sides of the coin rejecting member 12, so as to rockably mount this member l2 between the brackets I4.

The trunnions l5 are looked, as by lock nuts 16. The coin rejecting member [2 comprises a plate ll having upturned or downturned flanges or side portions l8 which are engaged by the trunnions IS. The rejecting member l2 has a hopper l9 which is disposed at an angle to the plate H, as shown in Figure 2, and this hopper or guide member l9 discharges into a receiving member 20, which may be connected to a channeled means for returning the rejected coin or slug to a predetermined point on the dispensing machine. The hopper or nozzle i9 is disposed on the same side of the channel member it as the opening i3 so that the rejected slug or coin ll will drop on to this guide member I9 and effect a tilting of the member [2, as shown in dotted lines in Figure 2, so that the rejected slug or coin will readily slide downwardly on to the receiving member 20.

The rejecting member I2 is provided at its rear end with a coin or check receiving slot 2| and preferably the plate I2 is bent upwardly, as at 22, on opposite sides of the slot 2! to provide a clamping means to clamp the coin Ha on to the inner end of the plate IT. The plate I1 is also provided with a substantially U-shaped clip 23, which is secured as by a bar or securing member 24 to the underside of the plate 11 and this clip coacts with the upturned portions 22 in firmly holding the coin I la in the slot 2|.

The plate I1 is provided with an elongated opening 25 and an adjustable balancing member 26 is disposed Within this opening 25 and is mounted on a threaded bar 21 secured substantially centrally of this opening 25. The threaded adjusted member 26 may be moved along the length of the opening 25 to the desired point so that when the slug or check having a weight greater than the weight of the coin H arrives at the opening l3, this overweighted slug or check will rock the member l2 downwardly and thus release the slug or check from the channel member so that this rejected article will slide downwardly into the receiving member 20.

A second rockable member 12a is mounted between a second pair of brackets I la, disposed in spaced relation to each other and secured to the channel member ID on the same side as the brackets M. This member IZais rockablymounted between a pair of trunnions I511 threaded through the bracket members Ma, which are locked by lock nuts Mia. The rockable member I2a comprises a plate Ila having side flanges 18a and the forward end of the rockable member l2a is provided with a chute or guide member I911 which discharges into a coin receiving member 20a. The plate llw is provided with an opening 25a and an adjustable balancing member 26a is threaded on to a bar 210. secured to one side of the plate H and in substantially the transverse center of the opening 25a. The rear portion of the plate Ila has a coin receiving opening Zla and the plate Ila is provided with upturned guide or clamping members 22a. similar to the plate ll.

As shown in Figure 1, the balancing member 26a is adjusted to a different position from the balancing member 26 so that when a coin having a weight similar tothe weight of the coin I la arrives at the opening l3a, having successfully passed the rejecting member I2, the rockable member l2a will rock downwardly at its for ward end so that this correctly weighted coin H will slide down the guide member I9a and intothe receiving member 21a. The coin entering the receiving member 2la will then pass to the vending machine.

The guide member or chute l9 has a guard 28 one side thereof, as shown in Figure 1, so as to prevent coins from initially rolling off of the chute l9 and a guard member 29 is also provided on the forward side of the channeled member l0 adjacent the guard 28 so that when the rockable member 12 rocks downwardly under the weight of a rejected check or slug the tilting over of this slug or check will not cause the rejected article to roll off of the chute or guide member I9.

The second rockable member [2a is also provided with a guard 28a. and the channel member ID has a guard 29a. to prevent the tilting coins from rolling oiT of the channel or chute I9a when this chute l9a rocks downwardly under the weight of a coin having a weight similar to the coin disposed in the slot 2m.

In the use of this coin testing or rejecting means, the channel I 0 is disposed within the conventional dispensing machine with the receiving member 29 connected to a suitable coin or check returning means and the receiving member 20a connected to the usual coin operated mechanism. The channel member ID is disposed on a sufficient angle to the horizontal so that coins or checks will freely roll therealong. The receiving end of the channel l0 may be at either end or, in other words, the channel mem-- ber 10 may be positioned with one or the other end uppermost.

In the present instance, the channel member H] has the end to the left of Figure 1 uppermost and this end constitutes the receiving end in which the coins are deposited. A coin similar to that which is used to operate the dispensing means is inserted in the slot 2| and the adjusting or balancing member 26 is then moved along the threaded bar 21 so that when coins of the same weight roll along the channel memher In, these normal coins will not rock the member l2 downwardly and will, therefore, not be deposited in the rejecting channel 20. The rockable member In is balanced in a similar manner to the member l2, that is, by inserting a coin H in the slot 2Ia of the same character as the coin which is adapted to operate the vending machine. The balancing member 26a is then adjusted along the length of the bar 21a so that any coin or slug of the same weight as the coin disposed in the slot Zla will rock the member [2a downwardly at its forward end so that the acceptable coin or check will slide down the chute or guide member 19a and into the receiving channel 20a. In the event a lighter coin of the same or less value as the coin in the slot Zla passes the rejecting member I2, this light coin or check will not have a sufficient weight to rock the member In downwardly and will, therefore, pass along the channel In past the rockable member In and may be returned to the depositor or guided to some remote point in the vending machine.

It will, therefore, be apparent that the two rockable members l2 and l2a are initially balanced by a coin of the same character as the coin which is used to operate the vending machine so that it is possible to very finely adjust these two members [2 and l2a in order to reject overweight checks or slugs and also to reject lightweight coins or checks. It will be apparent from the foregoing that the rejecting of the slugs or coins is effected without the use of magnetic means so that irrespective of the quality of the check or coin, if the article does not have exactly the same weight as the weight of the coin in the slot Zia, the coin or check will be rejected, thus preventing operation of the vending machine by counterfeit coins, slugs or similar articles.

I claim:---

1. In a testing device, a coin chute provided with elongated spaced apart discharge openings in the bottom, a pair of plate members disposed transversely of said chute and positioned with the inner end of each plate across an opening of the chute, upstanding sides carried by each plate, a pair of outstanding arms for each plate carried by the chute, pivot means carried by said arms and engaging the sides of a plate to pivotally secure a plate to the chute, each plate having an elongated opening in substantially the center thereof, a threaded barcarried by the plate extending longitudinally of the opening, a threaded balancing member on said bar and movable longitudinally of a plate, each plate having a coin receiving slot adjacent the outer end thereof, and a U-shaped clip carried by each plate beneath said coin slot for removably holding a coin in said slot.

2. In a testing device, a coin chute provided with elongated spaced apart discharge openings in the bottom and in a side thereof, a pair of plate members disposed transversely'of said chute and positioned with the inner end of each plate across a bottom opening of the chute, upstanding sides carried by each plate, a pair of L- shaped arms for each plate having one leg there of secured to a side of the chute opposite from the side opening thereof, pivot means carried by said arms and engaging the sides of a plate to pivotally secure a plate to the chute, each plate having an elongated opening in substantially the center thereof, a threaded-bar carried by the plate extending longitudinally of the opening, a threaded balancing member on said bar and movable longitudinally of a plate, each plate having a. coin receiving slot adjacent the outer end thereof, a U-shaped clip carried by each plate beneath said coin slot for removably holding a coin in said slot and a guard member secured to the chute at an end of each side opening.

ARTHUR H. KRAMER. 

